Yellow
by AndAllThatMishigas
Summary: Pre-series. Jed and Abbey go on a trip together without their young children, taking the time to reconnect as a couple and have some fun.


Author's Note: I was given a prompt of Bartlets on the beach on their first vacation together after they've had their children, involving a certain item that should become clear as you read. Thanks Raquel 3

**Yellow**

"Stop that," Abbey hissed, slapping her husband's hand away for what felt like the thousandth time. He kept sliding it down her back to rest on the curve of her bottom as they walked through the airport and now through the lobby of the hotel.

He chuckled softly. "Never." Just to prove his point, he pinched her behind. She jumped and yelped, making him laugh even harder.

"What the hell is wrong with you!? We're in public!" she scolded. Though to be perfectly honest, she loved it. She loved how eager he was to shower her with affection, how he couldn't keep his hands off her, how he wanted to show the world that they belonged to each other.

"Abbey, this is the first time we've been alone together for more than three hours in the last two years. Between Zoey being born and you at the hospital and me at the State House, we've barely had time to breathe. So now that we're finally in a place where we aren't being stared at by voters or patients or our children, I'm giving up on all that damn self-control. So I'm sorry if I can't stop grabbing at my sexy wife. Actually, scratch that, I'm not sorry at all. So get used to it, sweet knees," Jed told her, placing his hand around her waist and pulling her to his side.

Abbey resigned herself to being pawed at for the next four days. Which was really the point of this trip. She pulled her hair away from the back of her neck. The tropical heat of Barbados was starting to make her feel a little sticky. This was far different from the snowy February they were having in New Hampshire.

"Let's get checked in so we can unpack and call the kids," she requested. She was glad they were finally taking some time to themselves without their daughters, but her motherly instincts were being tested. Since they'd had Zoey a year and a half earlier, they had yet to leave her for more than a day. She knew there was nothing to worry about. The girls were staying with her parents in Massachusetts. And Liz was old enough to look out for Ellie well enough. But Zoey was a different story. She was a fussy baby, and because everyone knew she would be their last child, Abbey had a different attachment to her than she'd had to her other girls. She couldn't quite explain it, but leaving Zoey was somehow different than when she had first left Ellie or Liz for more than a day.

Jed could tell that Abbey's mothering was kicking in. As was his fathering. They'd been on a plane for nine hours, and even though he was excited to spend this time alone with his wife, he couldn't help but miss their girls.

So once they got up to their hotel room, he let Abbey call her mother to ask about the kids. While she was busy making sure Zoey was taking her naps and Ellie was getting better at raising her hand in class and Liz was doing her homework, Jed began unpacking. He had, unbeknownst to his wife, brought a few surprises in his luggage. He covertly placed the special items in places where she was sure to find them.

Liz had requested—begged was more like it—to talk to her father, so Abbey handed the phone to Jed and took over unpacking. Jed was distracted from hearing about his eldest daughter's day at school. He loved to watch Abbey move around a room, busy in her own world of responsibilities. It had been quite a while since he had been able to just sit and watch her like this. The grace of her movements and the sheer capability in everything she did was intoxicating.

"What do you think, Dad?"

Jed was jolted back to the conversation when his daughter addressed him. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, what were you saying?"

Liz sighed into the phone. "Junior high team tryouts are next week and softball is at the same time as field hockey, so I can't try out for both. Which one should I pick?"

"Why don't you flip a coin for it? When the coin is in the air, you'll know which side you want it to land on, and that's the one you should pick."

Abbey, who had already heard all about Elizabeth's sports team dilemma, smiled at Jed's response. She looked over to him. It struck her sometimes, how lucky she was that her children had such a wonderful father. How lucky she was to have married such a wonderful man.

Jed saw that look in his wife's eyes, so he quickly ended his conversation with Liz. He'd get the rest of the pertinent news later from Abbey. He hung up the phone and stood up, stretching his arms. "Alright, so we've unpacked and we've checked on the kids. I think it's time to go to the beach."

"Great idea, babe," Abbey replied with a smile. She gave him a quick kiss.

"That's all I get?" he pouted.

"A taste of things to come," she teased.

Jed shook his head. "Nah, that's nothing like what I've got in mind." He pulled her into his arms and held her body flush against his. He leaned in close and kissed her sensuously. His mouth moved against hers, sucking gently on her bottom lip. When he pulled away, he noticed a dazed look in her eyes. "Now _that_ is a taste of things to come."

Abbey felt her knees grow weak from that kiss. She cleared her throat and took a step back from him. They had come to the Caribbean so they could relax in the sand and sun. If they fell into bed now, they'd never leave. Better to go to the beach.

"I'm going to change into my swimsuit. Yours is in the second drawer there," he informed her.

She opened the drawer he indicated and found a box tied with a yellow ribbon. "What's this?" Abbey noticed her husband had that twinkle in his eye that always made her equal parts wary and excited.

"Go in the bathroom and put it on, then come out so I can see it on you."

Abbey bit her lip, intrigued by this little game he was devising. She took the box into the bathroom.

A few moments later, as Jed changed his clothes, he heard her yell, "Oh my god, you cannot be serious!"

He just laughed, not responding otherwise.

Abbey held up the two yellow bits of swimsuit fabric, feeling mildly distressed. Because there wasn't much more to it than two bits of fabric. Bright yellow with white polka dots. She sighed and poked her head out the door. "There is no way I'm wearing this in public."

Jed shrugged. "I'm going down to the beach. It's up to you, but I have been fantasizing about this for a week. But if you don't like it, you don't have to wear it. Fine by me," he told her, feigning indifference. He had anticipated her reticence, but he really did hope she'd give in to his little whims.

He left the room, leaving her alone with her conflict. Well, he wouldn't have asked if he didn't want to see it on her. And he did go to the trouble of buying it. And really, when had Jed ever asked her to do anything like this and not made it very much worth her while? Abbey could imagine the kinds of things he would do to her while she wore this bikini.

So she put it on. It didn't really cover her scar, which she knew she would get over eventually, but it was still a source of anxiety. Her breasts barely fit into the top. And after breast-feeding three children, that wasn't necessarily a benefit to anyone involved. But after a little maneuvering, everything seemed to stay where it was supposed to. At least enough to Abbey's satisfaction. She put on some sandals and a coverup to make her way down to the beach.

She found Jed under an umbrella near the water. "Alright, I'm here. I put it on."

Jed gave a hungry grin. "So let's see it."

"Oh no. You first. I deserve something from this. Shirt off, boyfriend."

His smile grew a little wider. Jed removed his shirt, leaving him in his short, tight swimsuit. The look on Abbey's face was priceless. It didn't matter that they spent almost every night in the same bed and maintained a very active sex life. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she looked him up and down, her eyes glazing over with unbridled desire. It took all the concentration Jed possessed to keep from taking her right then and there.

After a moment of standing there, being lusted after, he pointed to her. "Your turn, honey. Let's see how reality matches up with my dreams."

Abbey furrowed her brow, nervous for some reason. She couldn't quite understand why, because she knew that no matter what she looked like in this ridiculous yellow polka dot bikini, her husband would still love her, and they would certainly still be having sex when they got back to the hotel room. So she sighed and pulled the coverup off, letting it fall in the sand beside Jed's shirt.

Jed honestly thought he might lose it. As it was, his swimsuit was quickly becoming uncomfortably tight. She looked…amazing. It was the only word he could think of, but it couldn't fully capture what he was looking at. The swimsuit barely covered anything. Her breasts were full and heaving as she breathed. Her curves looked so soft and inviting as her bare skin started to gain a glisten in the humidity. And her legs. Those legs would be the death of him. Long and taught and shapely and perfect. Everything about her was perfect.

"Honey, people are starting to stare. Can we go in the water now, please?" Abbey asked in a low tone. She wasn't quite sure if the other patrons of the beach were looking at her nearly-naked body or her husband's gaping expression of barely-contained lust.

"Huh?" He looked up into her eyes, green and grinning.

"Water? Yeah?"

He nodded. "Right. Yeah." Jed took her outstretched hand and they moseyed down to the water's edge. He gave her hand a squeeze. "Thank you," he murmured, kissing her cheek.

Abbey looked back at him with adoration. There was no greater joy for her in the whole world than being appreciated, truly appreciated, the way Jed did her. She didn't answer him verbally. She walked a few feet into the bright blue ocean and dunked her body under the warm water.

When she stood up again, Jed couldn't help himself. He jogged over to her, splashing as he went, and pulled her into his arms. They fell over as they kissed. After fourteen years of marriage, he loved her more than when they were newlyweds. And now that they were far away from real life, they could finally be free to act on every whim of their love.


End file.
